Nuggets guard played well down the stretch of the season in Denver. He’s an unrestricted free agent this summer. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Forgive D.J. Augustin if he doesn’t exactly jump for joy each time he hears a team say its interested in retaining his services. He’s been there before. Many times before.

“This is my fourth summer being a free agent,” Augustin told The Post. “You never know what can happen. I’ve been promised things in the past, and it didn’t come true. I’ve had my hopes up in the past and it things didn’t happen.”

The point guard is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Nuggets have said they’d like to talk to him about a possible return. He played well after coming to the team in a deal that sent Randy Foye to Oklahoma City at the trade deadline. Read more…

Nuggets forward Darrell Arthur, beginning the last season of his contract, would love to make Denver his permanent home. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)

Darrell Arthur’s immediate career wish is simple: He wants to stay with the Nuggets.

Getting there, however, could be more complicated.

Because, while the veteran forward does have a player option for next season that he could pick up and be paid roughly $2.9 million, Arthur will, at least initially, be in search of more security than the one-year plus option deal he received last summer. To do get that he’d have to opt out by the late June deadline and then negotiate a multi-year deal with the Nuggets. Read more…

Nuggets guard D.J. Augustin drives against New Orleans forward James Ennis during a game on March 31. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

D.J. Augustin has always had a friend in Oklahoma City superstar Kevin Durant. Both are Longhorns. Augustin played alongside the long-limbed scorer in Austin back in 2006-07 and then added one more year at Texas after Durant bolted for the NBA following his wildly successful freshman season.

Durant is not surprised Augustin has found a place he likes in Denver since the trade deadline day deal that brought him to the Mile High City. The two talk about it frequently.

“I’m just happy he got his opportunity to play, that’s all he wanted,” said Durant prior to his team’s game at the Nuggets on Tuesday. “I talk to him all the time. He said he loves it (in Denver), the coach is trusting him. I remember coach (Michael) Malone calling him a security blanket or something like that, and in free agency a lot of people read things. You need that rap to get you the deal you want, I guess.” Read more…

This summer, when the salary cap money flows and the Nuggets are one of many teams deciding where best to spend their many millions, could current Atlanta wing Kent Bazemore be a fit in Denver?

Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore goes up for a dunk against Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

He’s definitely a player to keep an eye on.

This is what we know:

– He’d help improve the Nuggets shooting profile. And it needs help. As of Wednesday, the Nuggets were 21st in the NBA in 3-point percentage and 19th in 3-pointers made.

– He’s already familiar with Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, who coached him as an assistant with Golden State in 2012-13.

– He’s also familiar with, and a fan of, current Nuggets guard Will Barton.

– He’s an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

In an NBA that is placing increasing value on shooting, he’ll get paid. Much more than the $2 million he’s making this season. Bazemore’s official stance on his upcoming free agency is this:

“Winning takes care of everything,” he said. “I’m just happy to be part of this (Atlanta) organization. The guys have given me an opportunity to play. With (DeMarre) Carroll leaving, they could have done a lot of things in free agency this summer. But, they believed in me and I’m very thankful for it. So right now I’m just trying to get as many wins as possible for this organization and everything else will fall into place.” Read more…

Darrell Arthur has been one of the Nuggets’ best defenders the last couple of seasons. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

The Nuggets and unrestricted free agent Darrell Arthur have been in productive talks about a new contract, according to sources close to the situation. No deal, however, is imminent.

Arthur has drawn interest from several teams across the league, including Detroit and Washington. He has played for the Nuggets the past two seasons after coming over in a 2013 trade from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Arthur was arguably the Nuggets best defender, particularly in pick-and-roll situations. When he was on the court, the Nuggets’ defensive rating (points per 100 possessions) was 98.7. When he was off the court, that rating ballooned to 107.8.

And as valuable as he was on the court, Arthur was also a rock in the locker room. It’s the Nuggets desire to have that kind of influence return to the team.

Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com

The NBA announced Monday that it had renewed its television deals with ESPN and TNT for nine years, through the 2024-25 season. The league’s annual revenue from the agreements is expected to be upward of $2.6 billion, a dramatic increase over the $930 million it received in its previous deals.

A framework for a new “over-the-top” offering for Internet and mobile streaming

10 additional regular-season games for ESPN or ABC, bringing the total to 100

10 more exclusive regular-season windows

More team appearances

Live national rights to summer league and D-League games

750 new hours of NBA content

Aside from the windfall the league will receive with the massive deals, much has been made of the agreements’ impact on negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement, which could come as soon as 2017, when the players and owners can opt out of the current agreement. It will also significantly affect the salary cap for 2016-17 and the players’ piece of the basketball-related income pie.

Starting late Sunday, when news of the NBA’s deals were first reported, speculation ran rampant on just how much these new agreements will transform the league:Read more…

The Nuggets are reportedly still contenders in the trade discussions for Minnesota forward Kevin Love, left. (Karl Gehring, The Denver Post)

The Cavaliers are reportedly on the verge of signing No. 1 overall draft pick, Andrew Wiggins, but their trade talks with the Timberwolves about all-star forward Kevin Love remain in play. That much has been the news of past couple of weeks.

The Denver Nuggets have remained a strong contender for Love, offering a package that sources said has been the most appealing to Minnesota outside of the Cavaliers and a possible Golden State deal including Klay Thompson. So far, the Warriors have kept Thompson out of their offer to Minnesota.

The Nuggets were involved in initial talks about Love, but nothing serious or substantial evolved from them. After all, why exactly would Love want to come to Denver over the other reported suitors? Why would he agree to a long-term deal with a team that lacks the talent of, say, Cleveland (now with LeBron) or Golden State or Chicago? And who exactly would the Nuggets offer to Minnesota to make their trade package “the most appealing” to Minnesota outside of Cleveland or Golden State?

GM Tim Connelly had told the Post in May that he was planning an “aggressive” offseason and hoped to acquire an “impactful piece” over the summer. But the only addition the Nuggets have made to their roster outside the draft was veteran Arron Afflalo, whom they traded for on draft day to bolster their outside shooting. Read more…

Brooks, a free agent who served as a backup guard for the Nuggets last season, would join former Laker and all-star forward Pau Gasol, as well as Real Madrid star Nikola Mirotic and rookie sharpshooter Doug McDermott if the Chicago deal goes through.

According to ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman, the Nuggets have dangled a three-year, $12 million offer to the free-agent sharpshooter, while the Cavs have offered him two years and $5.5. million — and the chance to rejoin LeBron James.

Miller won two titles with James in Miami before the Heat amnestied him last summer. He signed with Memphis as a free agent after recovering from multiple injuries (thumb, back, shoulder) and played in all 82 games while averaging 7.1 points per game and shooting 45.9 percent from three-point range.

Last Friday, Miller announced via Instagram that he would not be returning to the Grizzlies because they “are going in another direction.” That “direction” was Vince Carter, a 37-year-old veteran who signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the final season partially guaranteed.

According to multiple reports, Miller has also been pursued by the Rockets, who took a series of blows in free agency — Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik were both traded away for little to nothing in order to clear cap space for a star like Chris Bosh or Carmelo Anthony (who both stayed put), and Chandler Parsons was snagged by Dallas.

Goodman reported Sunday that either Houston or Dallas — whichever did not receive Parsons — would be in play for Miller, but the Nuggets were “the frontrunner” to get him. Read more…

Tuesday morning, hours after the NBA’s free agency period began, Ron Klempner, the acting executive director of the NBA players’ association, sent a letter to all players encouraging them to take advantage of a new rule in the collective bargaining agreement and receive their salary over 18 months.

“An 18-month payment schedule for 2016-17 will allow a player to continue receiving paychecks throughout the 2017-18 season, even if the players are locked out that season,” Klempner wrote.

Opting out does not imply that James would actually leave Miami. In fact, the Heat can offer James more than any other team, as much as $130 million over five years. But it does give James the ability to explore his options.

“We fully expected LeBron to opt-out and exercise his free agent rights, so this does not come as a surprise,” Heat president Pat Riley said it in a statement Tuesday. “As I said at the press conference last week, players have a right to free agency and when they have these opportunities, the right to explore their options.”

LeBron James will be a free agent starting July 1. (Andy Lyons, Getty Images)

It’s like it’s 2010 all over again.

LeBron James will be a free agent starting July 1 after he informed the Miami Heat that he will opt out of the final two years of his deal.

The news was expected, and actually reasonable from his perspective. He can get more money out of it, as well as a chance to explore his options. Plus, James’s opting out doesn’t mean he will actually leave South Beach. He can see what’s out there and still return to Miami for a bunch of money, as much $130 million over five years, in fact.Read more…

After a night filled with trades and many unexpected moves — you know, the usual for the NBA draft — the Nuggets came away with 6-foot-11 Bosnian center Jusuf Nurkic, Michigan State shooting guard Gary Harris, Serbian center Nikola Jokic and a future second-rounder, while sending Anthony Randolph to Chicago.

Some of us — OK maybe just one of us — are baffled by the Nurkic and Jokic picks? Why do the Nuggets need more centers? Why do they need guys that may never suit up in an NBA uniform? And after taking one, why did they need to go after another in the second round?

Harris, however, I applaud. Even with Arron Afflalo in the mix now, the more shooters, the better (see: San Antonio) and his perimeter defense will be huge for Denver.

But let’s take a look at what others are saying about the Nuggets’ draft haul:

Zach Lowe, Grantland:
“Denver turned one asset into two, which is a smart thing when you’re a solid team that would like to keep itself in the running for a franchise-shaking trade. Sure, you can wonder if the Nuggets would have made the Afflalo deal had they known Harris would have been available at no. 19, but they couldn’t have known, and Harris is going to be a rookie.

” … the odds are still against Denver winning two rounds in the West next season. It’s probably more likely the Nuggets miss the playoffs again than pull that kind of noise.”

Matt Moore, CBSSports.com:
Nurkic: “(Brian) Shaw needs a rim protector but this seems like a reach. He´s versatile, but they could have filled other needs. Grade: C-”

Nate Timmons, Denver Stiffs:
Nurkic: “Brian Shaw likes big men that can play with their back to the basket and play in the pick-and-pop. Nurkic can definitely play in the post and will be a load for defender to handle.”

Harris: “Harris is good enough to earn playing time right away. He will likely push (Randy) Foye for minutes and could make Foye expendable this season.”

Reid Forgrave, FoxSports.com:
“Great job by the Nuggets of parlaying one first-rounder into two. Nurkic is a skilled man-child who could do some damage inside and outside the paint. And Harris is an excellent two-way player. Grade: A-”

SB Nation:
“Nurkic is a huge center prospect who bruises opponents on the boards and can finish around the rim. He fouls and turns the ball over ton, so he might not be ready to play immediately, but he’s the second-best center prospect in the draft. The Nuggets will be happy grabbing him at 16. UPSIDE A · FIT B+ · IMMEDIATE IMPACT D”

Dario Saric may be overseas for a couple of years, but he could still be a viable option for the Nuggets. (Andrej Isakovic, Getty Images)

Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of looks at different players and issues surrounding the Nuggets leading up to the June 26 NBA draft.

Top international prospect Dario Saric has reportedly agreed in principle to a three-year deal with Turkish team Anadolu Efes.

The deal, reported by ESPN.com’s Chad Ford, says the third year of the contract is a player option. The question now for the Nuggets, who have had high interest in the power forward, is: Would it make sense to draft him anyway? Read more…

If there’s an NBA player who doesn’t want more minutes, then perhaps that player has a problem with being too content. Andre Miller, like many others, indeed would like to play more, and said as much recently.

But his agent explained Friday that Miller is committed to the Nuggets — the team Miller signed with this past summer during free agency — and Nuggets executive Masai Ujiri said, “Andre is not going anywhere. We want to win.”

Miller helps Denver win. He is a key cog off the bench. The point guard spearheads the second unit, he often plays down the stretch and was even called the team’s MVP by coach George Karl (prior to Danilo Gallinari’s recent surge).

Miller did make some comments to Paul Klee about his role, saying, “I definitely would like to contribute more.”

Chauncey Billups and Chris Paul talk to kids in Parker at the Chauncey Billups Basketball Academy camp on Monday.

PARKER – It’s been a decade since Chauncey Billups was last pursued as hard by NBA teams in free agency as he expects to be this year.

And his good friend, L.A. Clippers guard Chris Paul, aims to be at the top of the list, hoping to get him back in red, blue and white for the 2012-13 season.

“He knows my top priority right now is to make sure he’s back with us again next season,” said Paul, a special guest today at Chauncey Billups’ basketball camp at Parker Fieldhouse.

“That was the best backcourt mate I played with since I’ve been in the NBA. He just gave me so much confidence and made things so much easier for me. So I need him back and want him back with the Clippers.”

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.